Amir Khan arrested after alleged assault

RingTV.com

July 4, 2014

It is being reported that former two-time junior welterweight titleholder Amir Khan has been arrested on charges of assault and bailed in his home city of Bolton, England, in the early hours of this morning.

Khan (THE RING's No. 9-rated welterweight) is alleged to have struck two teenagers who were returning home from a nearby mosque. One of the men suffered a facial injury and the other a wound to his leg, but neither is thought to have been seriously hurt.

“Just before 1:30 a.m. on Friday, police were called following reports of an assault in Bolton,” confirmed a police spokesman. “Officers attended Russell Street and discovered two 19-year-old men had been assaulted. Their injuries are not serious. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of two section 47 assaults.”

A spokesman from Tangerine PR, which represents Khan, reiterated those facts.

“Amir Khan was arrested on suspicion of common assault in the early hours of Friday, July 4. Amir has since been released without charge on bail pending further enquiries. At this stage we are unable to comment further on this matter.”

One anonymous witness told the Bolton News, “We have always looked up to him as a role model with him being a Muslim and successful. It is going to cause tension in the community. He is a world champion, an adult, and the people involved are aged 19.”

Reports indicate that the former Olympic silver medalist pulled up beside a group of men in his Mercedes, shortly before the incident started. It is believed that the British star was reacting to an insult aimed at a friend.

Khan (29-3, 19 knockouts) posted a significant decision victory against former WBA welterweight titlist Luis Collazo in May. He had been linked to a potential bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., but the match up fell through during the closing stages of negotiations.